You seem to be feeling better, Itachi-san
by Deidara97
Summary: Itachi and Kisame are caught in a thunderstorm and seek shelter in a cave. Itachi gets the sniffles and Kisame thinks his partner might be "cute." An interpretation of how these two shinobi spent their time together. Intimacy suggested, slightly. Feel free to use your imagination. Or don't.


**A.N. KisaIta catharsis was needed, and here is the result! Comments are appreciated. Thank you!**

Once past the crevice, the pair stumbled upon a sizeable cave carved in the soft limestone deposit by the untamed ebb and flow of the waters. They were far enough from any civilization that Kisame decided to investigate it for a potential place to escape the thunderstorm and set up camp for the evening. Before he had finished assessing the cave, his young partner let out a feeble sneeze.

Kisame's heart almost fluttered at the rare occurrence. The word "cute" came to mind, but then the assassin chided himself for thinking such things, remembering that, much like himself, Itachi had taken many a life without question and was not "cute."

However, the elder man felt the need to look out for his partner's health.

"Itachi-san," His voice was firm. "We should get you out of these wet clothes before you catch a cold."

A testament to his current state, the younger man simply nodded without protest.

Kisame took a last glance around the area and deemed it a suitable place to take a rest. He then left to search for some wood (wood that was most certainly soaked through due to the rain) to start a small fire.

…

Itachi let the dripping black and red cloak fall off his shoulders and onto the bare rock beneath his feet. The earth was cool, but at least it was dry. Itachi looked through the crevice at the falling rain. It had seemed to pick up. Had the Uchiha not known of his partner's affinity for water, he might have felt sorry for the man.

 _Where the hell is Kisame?_ He briefly envisioned his partner frolicking in the rain, disrobed with water rushing past his gills. A rather loud whistle of the wind through the formation stirred him from his musings, and he proceeded to remove his damp shirt.

While alarming at first, his partner's blue skin and piercing yellow eyes had become a source of comfort after years of teamwork. It could even be said that some basic level of _trust_ existed between the two rogue shinobi, something almost certainly foreign to any double agent.

Itachi was removed from his daydream when Kisame returned with four medium-sized logs; they appeared to be mesquite. The fire-style user hated slow-burning wood.

"Sorry, Itachi-san. This was all I could find out here so close to the desert."

His partner shrugged indifferently, and Kisame interpreted it as _"That's okay, Kisame. You did your best."_ The taller man sometimes got creative with translations of his partner's gestures, and even dialogue was cryptic and open to interpretation.

After all, he had witnessed the Uchiha show compassion and _occasionally_ gratefulness. Though that was usually when one of them was sick or injured, more an anomaly than commonplace.

…

He found a spot in the middle of the cave where previous residents' use of the formation was evidenced by scorch marks in the rock.

"Is this spot okay, Itachi-san?" A slow blink and almost imperceptible nod was the reply. Kisame took a moment to admire the younger man's flawless skin. Rarely does a shinobi of his caliber have such immaculate skin with hardly a single scar. Almost every inch of Kisame was covered, though most of his scars were received during his youthful years. Initially, Kisame assumed the Uchiha was inexperienced, but one glimpse of his partner in combat was all it took to dispel that notion.

"You can place the logs down, Kisame."

Kisame blinked at the broken silence and realized his mouth had been slightly agape. He quickly regained his composure, erecting his posture and clearing his throat.

"Of course, Itachi-san." He did as he was told and, once the older man's back was turned, Itachi let out a smirk at his partner's obvious fawning. It no longer made the young shinobi uncomfortable as it once did.

While Itachi used his fire jutsu to slowly dry out the mesquite so it would light, Kisame removed his robe, revealing his scarred chest. He noticed Itachi's smaller robe and shirt discarded carelessly on the floor and gingerly picked them up. He placed the garments on a protruding rock to dry.

…

Itachi settled down before the newly started fire, rolling his neck along his shoulders to release some tension from the cold. Kisame approached and sat about an arm's length from the Uchiha. He unhooked a small, cylindrical canteen from a clasp on his waist and offered it to Itachi by way of gesture.

Itachi considered it before accepting the water. He took a modest sip and noted the water's warmth from being pressed against his partner's body. His eyes lingered upon returning the canteen, dancing across Kisame's chest and broad shoulders and landing on his biceps as he reclaimed the vessel. The young shinobi was not being discreet, and Kisame was certain that was not open to interpretation.

Kisame couldn't prevent a smirk but stifled a laugh.

"You seem to be feeling better, Itachi-san."

The Uchiha soaked up the view one last time before returning his eyes to the dancing flame and letting a soft hum of approval escape his lips.


End file.
